Can't Walk Away
by A. Windsor
Summary: The beginning and the end of an affair. Post-If/Then multichapter. M.
1. Part 1

**Title**: Can't Walk Away

**Rating**: M, eventually.

**Authors**: **a_windsor** & **roughian** (a_roughian? windsorian?) [I believe what you're looking for is Super Fic Writing Team - A]

**Disclaimer: **All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My one and a half years of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it's pretty useless. So please don't sue; it's not mine, I'm just playing!

**Summary**: The beginning and the end of an affair.

**A/N**: Set After 8x13: Basically we have been writing this rabidly for the better part of the week [Even before the episode! - A]. We like to joke that this fic has broken us, but in reality it's just been all-consuming. To that end, we haven't read any other post-If/Thens, so any similarities are because of the source material. Also, for our girlfriends' sakes we don't condone adultery, this is just MFEO in an alternate realty.

Oh! And flashbacks in _italics_.

* * *

><p>Owen Hunt knew at the time that he was taking his beautiful life for granted, but it didn't really sink in until nights like tonight, when he comes home to an absolutely silent apartment and an empty fridge, rather than a house full of kids to snuggle and wrestle and a mouth watering home-cooked meal prepared by either wife or nanny. He and Torres may have fallen into marriage out of convenience, timing, and a burning need to have the picket fence life, and that life may have been hollow and claustrophobic sometimes, but there were those beautiful moments when it did, however briefly, live up to the hype.<p>

So he escapes to the grocery store for yet another Hungry Man dinner or three. It's not that he can't cook, just that he has no energy, no spices, no pans. He thinks he's safe, because this grocery store is not the closest to The House, and therefore not the usual where Callie and the kids do their weekly routine.

He miscalculates. Arizona Robbins lives closer to this one, and it's close enough to The House that it would be her first instinct.

He recognizes her laugh first, and then a chorus of his favorite sounds in the world, his kids giggling and talking over each other, being extra sweet and cajoling. Sounds like a good old-fashioned cookie begging.

He sneaks around the corner, behind them, so they don't catch him. He tries not to come off too creepily.

"No, no, guys," Dr. Robbins laughs. "You're gonna get me in so much trouble with Mami."

Gavin is perched on her hip, Gus in the handle seat, and Allegra happily rides on the front of the shopping cart.

"Arizona, please," she lays on the charm, even adding a flutter of her lashes. "They look _so_ yummy."

"Yeah," her brothers supply helpfully, Gavin sweetly laying his head on her shoulder.

"I _wove_ choco chips," Gus adds.

"We won't ask for ice cream," Allegra piles it on.

"Okay, okay," Robbins caves. "One pack."

A chorus of "yays" greets her announcement, and she even playfully joins in.

"Your mother is gonna kill me," Robbins sighs, and the kids giggle again.

"Okay, we still have a list to get done, guys. What's left?"

"Bananas," Gavin says, bouncing in her arms.

"Rice Krispies," Allegra pipes up.

"Toast," Gus finishes.

Robbins grins: "Bread, Gus. Then we'll make it into toast."

"Right," Gus smiles.

"Oo, French toast. I bet Mami knows how to make that."

He wants to hate her, the woman who stole his family, but his life was unhappy, his wife was unhappy, long before Arizona Robbins started staring mooningly at Calliope Torres. And his kids _love _her. They _love_ him, too, and are always bubbly about seeing him, too, but he sees them around the hospital and it's not just his ex-wife that looks at Robbins like she hangs the moon and stars. And Robbins, well, he's worked with her for years and he's never seen her so _happy_, so loose and free.

He _very casually_ follows them around the rest of the store, always almost a whole aisle length away, because he doesn't want to interrupt, but he so misses his kids. He and Callie fell apart and he thinks in retrospect that they were never in love; he won't regret their marriage, though, because their kids are amazing.

They joke and play and mosey, and they're maybe not as well-behaved as they would be for Callie and Owen, but she keeps them within control and they seem to be having a great time. Cart full, they wander past the florist section as they head to the check out.

"Well, what do you think, guys?"

"About flowers?" Allegra asks, confused.

"For Mami."

"Ohhh," the boys chorus, even though they know nothing of what's going on.

Arizona walks over to the bouquets, Gavin still on her hip, sneakers kicking against her thighs.

"Red," Gus declares from the cart.

Allegra hops down to start examining them, too.

"Lilies."

Robbins spins around, clearly surprised.

"She likes lilies," Owen speaks up, awkwardly clearing his throat.

"Daddy!"

He's got Allegra and Gavin hanging off him in a second, Robbins quickly helping free Gus from his seat-prison.

"Dr. Hunt."

"Dr. Robbins."

"What are you doing here, Daddy?" Allegra asks.

"Sorry to interrupt. Just grabbing some dinner. What are you three up to?"

"Grocery shopping with Arizona. Mami's gonna meet us at home."

"Are you being good?" he asks, as if he hasn't been trailing them for awhile.

"Yes," Allegra swears, the boys nodding from their places clinging to his knees.

"Good. Hanging in there, Dr. Robbins? You're brave to take them here."

Arizona gives him a polite smile, uncomfortably running a thumbnail over the hard plastic of the shopping cart handle. "They've been great."

"Yeah? I'm glad."

"Sona, I hungry," Gus grumbles, dropping his grip on his daddy's legs and looking over his shoulder at his mother's girlfriend.

"I know, buddy. We'll take you home soon, okay?"

"You're right," Owen says, kissing Allegra's cheek and then leaning down to do the same to the boys. "You should head out."

"We don't have to go yet," Arizona insists. "If you want a few-"

"No, no. It's okay. I have to get home, too, and we have plans tomorrow afternoon, right, guys?"

The kids agree happily and kiss and hug him goodbye.

"Love you, Daddy," Allegra beams.

"I love you, too, baby."

He leaves them there in the florist section, gathering themselves together and scouring the lilies for the perfect bouquet for Callie. From afar, they could easily be mistaken as mother and children, what with the fairness of the twins mixed with the ease all three show with her.

He feels a twinge. He misses those three so much it hurts, all the time. He misses tucking them into bed, and overseeing a chaotic bath time, and even getting so annoyed with them that he wanted to scream (but didn't; he's never been that dad, even in his darkest moments). He gets continuity of care and fair visiting schedules, he does. Callie has been great about giving him plenty of access to them, and they're still in daycare close by. Despite the nags of his mother and others, he doesn't think Callie's infidelity justifies him getting full custody. Maybe because the only thing that kept him from doing it was a lack of courage. Maybe because he still doesn't trust himself with having them full time, not with the dreams still waiting in the wings.

Maybe because he's scared they'd miss her more than they miss him.

His mother, who always adored Callie, is having a lot of trouble understanding how well he's handling their split. Sometimes he misses the easy companionship of the first years of his relationship with Callie, but mostly he just feels guilty for not missing his wife much, at all.

* * *

><p>"You guys took <em>forever<em> at the grocery store. I was scared you and Arizona had been stolen," Callie says overdramatically as she starts unbuckling Gus from his car seat, grabbing his stuffed monkey and tickling his nose with it. He grins and gives her a warm squeeze around her neck.

Allegra scrambles out and over Gavin, rocketing from the back of the SUV after a helpful lift from Arizona, who is still wrestling with the car seat. She's gotten pretty good at it recently, though, a skill she once confessed to never really expecting to need to master.

"Thanks, Sona," Gavin says as soon as he's freed and she helps him to the ground. Dinosaur in hand, he toddles after Allegra.

"You got a thank you," Callie says, impressed, as she kisses Gus's cheek and sends him after his brother. She keeps an eye on them through the door, then meets Arizona at the front of the car, kissing her hello. "And your car is here safe and sound. Thanks for taking mine and doing grocery duty with the Three Stooges."

"No problem."

One of the twins lets out a squawk, following by an annoyed shriek from Allegra.

"I better check on that."

"I'll get the groceries," Arizona assures, shooing her.

Callie plays with the twins in the living room, some game that involves buckets on their heads and Gavin growling like a dinosaur. She hates to think it, that even her kids are less tense since Mami and Daddy split up, but their deteriorating relationship and Owen's PTSD hung a black cloud over their house for a long time. But with Daddy seeking help now, Mami and Daddy talking without the burden of a crumbling marriage, and, Callie likes to think, the injection of the surprisingly sunshiney Dr. Robbins into their lives, the kids have just perked up magnificently. Callie finds she spends more quality time with them, and she's not sure exactly what they do, but the kids always come back beaming from their visits with Owen. They seem closer now than they were before this mess, too. And Arizona...

She looks up and sees Allegra hurrying to help carry in bags with Arizona, talking a mile a minute, both of them, like they didn't just spend an hour together running errands. It's so easy to fall into this pattern, this routine, splitting kids duties and grocery duties and falling asleep together every night. Like a marriage. Like a family.

But she notices that Arizona makes it a point to not stay more than two or three nights in a row. Makes it a point to hang out with the kids, but not to parent. This is all so new. They could all get so hurt. But still, nothing's ever felt so right.

"Ah, Gus-monkey, don't bite your brother," Callie laughs, grabbing the younger of the boys (by seven very painful minutes) before he can, playfully or otherwise, take a chunk out of Gavin.

"I hungry," is Gus's only response.

"Okay. Can you two play super nicely here while I go start dinner then?"

The boys raise no objections, and so she works on dinner while Arizona and Allegra bring in and put away the food. Callie notices with a flutter in her heart that Arizona already knows where everything goes in the fridge and pantry. Allegra wanders over to pester her brothers, and Arizona suddenly appears at her side, presenting a pretty bouquet of super market flowers, pure white with only one or two wilted at the edges.

"You brought me lilies," Calliope beams at her, giving her a sweet kiss while the kids are occupied, marveling at how her lips still make her go weak in the knees. She takes the flowers and gives them a good sniff.

"Yeah," Arizona grins shakily. "Um, Hunt told me they were your favorite."

"Oh."

She thinks back to those first few dates with Owen. He was handsome, and sweet, and honorable, and wanted everything she wanted out of life. He was perfect, she thought, and a soldier to boot, enough to make any girl swoon. But no one has ever made her swoon, never made her blush and stutter, like Arizona Robbins.

"You ran into Owen."

"At the grocery store, yep."

She still looks clearly unnerved by the experience.

"How was he?"

"He was... good," Arizona drops her gaze and pilfers a noodle from the pot Callie just finished straining. "Sorry, it's weird to bring you flowers your husband - _ex-husband_ - recommended, isn't it? I'm sorry. He just said they were your favorites, and I didn't know that."

It's one of those things. One of those things that keep cropping up. First dates stuff. They moved so fast into this. They wanted to spend as much time as possible together, but Callie had three other equally important responsibilities, so the only time to themselves they got were Owen's visits with the kids.

"It's not weird. Thank you. I love them. I should've told you sooner, but it seemed like fishing for flowers."

Arizona's concerned frown turns up into a smile and she steals a quick kiss.

"Okay. C'mon. The four of us did some very hard work at the super market today. The least you could do is feed us."

Callie laughs and kisses her cheek.

Arizona tacks on: " And hey, you deserve as many flowers as you want."

* * *

><p><em>Callie wasn't the drinks after work kind of girl anymore, but here she was, sitting at the dive bar by the hospital, ordering a cheap Malbec and rubbing elbows with Arizona Robbins, smiling into her Chardonnay. No, make that sniffing it, and swishing it around the glass.<em>

"_We're at Joe's. Both these glasses of wine cost $12.00. I don't think their Sutter Home is going to be anything to write home about," Callie teased._

"_Right," Arizona clipped, smirking a little as held up her glass. "Let's just toast," she cleared her throat, straightened her shoulders. "To a fabulous surgery, the future of Cardio Thoracic Pediatrics and perhaps the future of a potential Torres-Robbins award."_

"_That doesn't exist," Callie snorted out a laugh._

"_It doesn't exist yet," Arizona sparred playfully. "You have to admit it has a nice ring to it."_

_Glasses clinked and Callie tipped hers back into her mouth. Despite the cheapness, she cherished the dry sweetness as soon as it hit her tongue. It was a long day. But all of them were getting to that point lately._

_Arizona chuckled at her phone as it lit up and she read whatever was on the screen. Even just sitting at a bar, Callie could tell Arizona was different outside of work. Animatedly, the blonde replied to the message._

"_Am I interrupting?" Callie smiled, nodding subtly toward Arizona's phone._

"_Oh, no. You're not. Was telling Laura I'm having drinks with the cardio surgeon who rocked the surgery with me last week."_

"_Laura, huh?" Callie sipped her wine. Maybe she was that much of a lightweight, but she was a little buzzed. Or at least, that's what her excuse was going to be to explain the weird pang of jealousy shooting through her._

"_Yes," Arizona reaffirmed. "Laura's my best friend. She lives in Boston."_

"_Ah," Callie smiled, sipping her wine again, mentally chastising herself for acting like that._

_Arizona's phone lit up one more time. "She told me to drink one for her, and buy you one on her as well."_

"_I think I like your friend already," Callie smirked._

"_Oh, you should," she smiled._

_Callie arched a brow, taking in Arizona wearing a smile instead of her usual stoic pursed lips and quirked eyebrow. She was pretty without that hardened features. Come to think of it, she was always pretty. Scowling or not. _

"_It's been a while for just...drinking," Arizona mused. "It's nice. I'm glad we could fit it in." _

_Callie had been staring, unabashedly. It was hard not to; the fitted blouse, the pencil skirt, those legs- Damnit. _

"_Yeah three kids doesn't really allow for too many boozing nights, but I'm glad the nanny agreed to staying a little later," Callie laughed softly. "And Owen doesn't really drink because it's kind of a trig-" she stopped herself, trailing off as she willed the last flashback of his episodes out of her mind. _

"_Right," Arizona mumbled, tracing the stem of her wine glass, dropping her gaze from that devastatingly beautiful face. It almost hurt to hear his name sometimes. _

"_So," Callie swallowed the last mouthful of wine, signalling to the burly barkeep for another. _

"_So," Arizona replied, then caught the bartender's attention. "Me too, please." _

_Despite the success of the day's surgery, Callie never regarded Arizona as one she might strike up a conversation with. However, as they languidly made their way through their second glass of wine, Callie was caught up. Arizona was incredible to talk to. The determined, private person at the hospital didn't exist next to her on the ripped up bar stool. _

_Instead of butting heads over innovations vs. safety, over whose procedure made for better medicine, the pair couldn't contain their laughter. Callie telling of her mother's hijinks, Arizona recounting her military upbringing with a hilarious impression of her stern father. Callie could tell the apple didn't fall far from the tree. _

_After the third glass, Callie paid their tab and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up before going home. She wasn't drunk, but the comfortable buzz that surrounded her gave promises of a really great sleep tonight. She stood in front of the mirror, carefully plucking at her long waves as she adjusted her blouse. She barely noticed the door open, the sound of familiar heels on slippery tile. She saw Arizona over her shoulder, offering a smile to her colleague._

"_You look great, no need to fuss," Arizona said gently, but also sort of authoritatively. _

_Callie smiled. It was kind of hot. _

"_Yeah, thanks," the brunette smirked as she turned around, back resting against the sink as she watched Arizona do the same fussing in the mirror. _

"_I mean it," Arizona grinned as she finished, crossing her arms over her chest. "You have to know it." _

_Callie blushed but kept her gaze on the other's, trying desperately not to look in those haunting blue eyes. "I mean, coming from you, I will take the compliment." _

_Smiling, the blonde tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she took a step closer to Callie. Her hands dropped, falling to her sides, itching to rest on either side of her companion. Instead she balled her fists and loosened them a few times. _

_Callie cocked her eyebrow, never losing her gaze. Arizona was close enough to her that she could smell her: the clinical twinge of hospital, the safe sterility of soap, the wine, and something else. Something distinctly Arizona. _

"_You were great, though, the other day. I mean it,," Arizona says with that same authority in her voice. _

"_I had amazing support," Callie said, wondering why her voice cracked in the middle of it._

"_We were great," Arizona amended. _

_Callie wet her lips and Arizona took one more step closer. There was barely enough room for the exhale that scampered free from Callie's lungs. _

"_Hopefully we'll have more cases together," Arizona said, dropping her gaze to those lips, then back up to those eyes. There wasn't really a safe place to look though, it was all gorgeous. _

"_We usually do," Callie teased._

"_Then more opportunities for bad wine at Joe's," Arizona laughed. _

_Guilt. Callie felt guilt, creeping in through her veins. But that same guilt was superceded by need. Her hand encircled Arizona's wrist and the blonde took a shuddering breath before leaning in and sliding a hand along the flawless curvature that was Callie's cheek. Her nose brushed the other, lips slowly following suit. _

_The phone ringing wasn't part of the plan and just as Arizona felt her lips graze Callie's, they were gone._

_Callie wrestled her phone from her purse. "Hello, Dana? She does? And she hasn't been keeping it down? Hmm. Okay. I'm on my way home. No, Owen works until tomorrow morning." _

_Arizona brought trembling fingers to her lips, wiping them. She wanted that feeling off of her mouth, but there was a gut feeling that it wouldn't happen. Ever. _

"_Allegra's running a fever and vomiting, I've gotta go. I'm sorry," Callie said, collecting her things. She tried to disguise the slight waver of disappointment in her voice._

"_Of course, family first. There's a bug going around, but let me know if you'd like me to get Graham to check her out tomorrow." _

"_Yeah," Callie said shakily as she pushed open the bathroom door. "I will."_

* * *

><p><em>tbc<em>


	2. Part 2

**Title**: _Can't Walk Away_

**Rating**: M, eventually.

**Authors**: a_windsor & roughian (a_roughian? windsorian?)

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My one and a half years of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it's pretty useless. So please don't sue; it's not mine, I'm just playing!

**Summary**: The beginning and the end of an affair. Set After 8x13

**A/N**: You are all fantastic and roughian and I love y'all so much! Here's part two, still building with the back and forth. Oh! And _flashbacks in italics_.

* * *

><p>Callie watches Arizona hard at work on breakfast, hair in a messy ponytail and a ratty old Miami sweatshirt replacing her usual hyper-professional demeanor. She loves casual Arizona, and loves even more casual Arizona goofing off with her kids and making a mess out of her kitchen.<p>

"Alright, who's up next?"

"Me!"

"No, Gavin, I think it's Allegra's turn," Arizona laughs, slipping three more small pancakes on Allegra's plate. "Look. You still have two, silly."

"Oh," he giggles.

"Only one more round for you, Gav', or you'll turn into a pancake!"

"No," Gus shakes his head at this threat to his brother. "Can't, Sona."

"Hey, who's the doctor here? I think I would know!"

Gus bites his lip and smiles and hides behind his chubby hand. "Cakes?"

"Oops, yes, look, yours are almost ready. This is the last for you, too, mister," she says, flipping the latest batch over with a flourish.

"What about Mami?" Allegra asks. "Gonna make some for her, Arizona?"

"Well, of course," Arizona gushes. "How many should I make her?"

"Tree!"

"Gavin, you've had like twelve. Mami needs more than three."

"Four," Gavin allows.

"Gavin," Callie announces her presence. "How come I only get four, huh?"

"Sorry, Mami," he grins, not looking a bit repentant. "Sona makin' 'cakes."

"She is, huh? I heard, and you're trying to eat them all!" Callie accuses, coming in to kiss the food-smeared cheek of each of her children. She moves around the island to warmly kiss Arizona's cheek, too, an arm looping loosely around her waist. Arizona only stiffens a little; she's getting a lot better about PDA, however chaste, in front of the children.

Gavin does not respond, picking up a pancake and swishing it around the butter/syrup mix on his Batman plate, then shoving it in his mouth.

"How long have you all been up with Sona, huh?"

"Twelve pancakes each long," Arizona teases.

"That's a long time," Callie notes. She whispers: "You didn't have to do that."

Arizona shrugs, depositing three more tiny pancakes on Gavin's plate. "The tiny humans have crazily chosen plain, but would you like a few bananas in yours?"

"Oo, yes, please."

"Gross," Allegra comments, "Hey, Sona?

Callie grins, loving how the boys' struggles to pronounce 'Arizona' have turned into the sweetest of pet names. She releases Arizona with another quick kiss to the cheek and moves to pour herself some coffee.

"Yep?"

"When are we gonna have a sleepover at your house?" Allegra asks innocently.

Callie freezes and hears a clatter and then a hiss, turning around to find Arizona sucking on an offended finger.

"What do you mean, sweetie?" Arizona grits through the pain, and Callie grabs her a Boo-Boo Bear from the freezer while contemplating how exactly to answer _that_ question. So far the kids have accepted the presence of Sona in their lives with very few questions, but maybe their luck has run out.

"You always have sleepovers here. We should have one at your house."

Before Callie can smooth that one over, Arizona speaks up ably:

"Well, Allegra, I'd love that, but you see, my house is super, super tiny. We couldn't all sleep there. And I have no toys!"

"Oh." Allegra bites her lip. "We could bring some toys."

"But where will we sleep?"

Allegra has no response for that one, but she keeps thinking hard.

"That is a stumper," Arizona commiserates. "But we'll keep thinking about it. So are you guys super excited to go see Daddy today?"

Callie slides back in behind Arizona, switching off the burner as the last of some more substantially sized pancakes are deposited onto a plate. Arms around her waist, she finds the injured finger and gently presses the purple gel bear against it.

"Kiss i' betta, Mami," Gus orders, clearly concerned.

"Yeah, Sona hurt," Gavin echoes.

"Hmm, that," Callie smiles warmly, "Is definitely something I can do."

* * *

><p><em>It couldn't happen again. Arizona had said this to herself countless times. In the mirror, brushing her teeth, after morning coffee. It had been the mantra she'd tried to assign to herself. She and Callie would be colleagues. That's it.<em>

_Maybe._

_Or at least she'd really try._

_Callie (and admittedly Arizona, too) had been going out of their ways to speak with the other. Asking for consults on things they knew the answers to, swapping spots with interns so that they could be on surgeries so basic that they spent the time comparing musical tastes, bringing in playlists and critique genres. Arizona grinned the day she heard Feist on Callie's OR play list, and Callie brimmed with excitement when Lil Wayne started showing up on the blonde's._

_The lunches were another thing. They'd been making more time for them. To go over cases and try desperately to not make every third comment some sort of vague double entendre._

_In short, it was hell. Maybe one of the first rings where petty criminals went. Or something, neither woman really knew their Dante all that well._

_Over turkey wraps and a bowl of grapes, Callie listened as Arizona recounted her favorite surgery; a spinal tumor resection that had been so risky that it should have cost her her medical license, or at least some credit. However, when Ellis Grey is the one you answer to, edgy, innovative procedures are the way to go._

_As Callie launched into her story about starting out in ortho and having to scrub in on an emergency mitral valve repair, she was interrupted by the severely arched eyebrow of her best friend._

"_Well, this is a strange sight," she smiled, half-resting her tray on her expanded belly. _

"_What is?" Arizona froze. Her face burned hot for a second. Addison gave her a look like she'd just deconstructed everything in a matter of seconds._

"_You two being civil. Laughing," Addison smirked, then eyed Callie, watching as those brown eyes dropped to her turkey wrap then back up to meet the red head's gaze._

"_Well, yes," Callie fumbled for a second. "Want to sit? I was telling Arizona the story of how I started out in ortho."_

_Arizona tried not to moon over the woman beside her._

_Addison eyed the pair, nearly dropping her tray when the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. They looked at each other like she looked at Mark, like Mark looked at her. "No, I've heard that story so many times I'd ruin it," she paused. "Plus I've gotta prepare for surgery. Arizona, I'll see you in twenty minutes for that Thomas case?"_

"_Ah, right, the cystic hygroma," Arizona nodded. "I won't be late. Just going to finish my lunch."_

"_Callie," Addison said, with that eyebrow again. "Call me later, okay?"_

_Callie froze, recognizing the tone. It was Addison's subtle way of saying: "I know something's up with you, so you better fess up."_

"_Yes, I will. Tonight after I put the kids to bed."_

"_Bye Dr. Robbins," Addison smiled before heading out toward the exit._

_Callie watched her walk away then swung her gaze back around to Arizona. "We need to talk."_

_Confused, and a little sad to be taken from her grape-and-story reverie, Arizona watched Callie pick up her tray and rise from the table. She watched as the Latina threw the entire thing in the trash and sauntered quickly from the room._

"_Guess that means follow her?" Arizona said to no one in particular as she popped another grape into her mouth before following._

_In the main hall now, Arizona looked for Callie. All that was down on this floor was restrooms, the gift shop, and the cafe, so she decided to take the elevator back up to the lounge. Who knows where the woman could be. Though it was strangely hot to see her pissed off._

_No, Arizona. This couldn't happen again._

_Callie stood by the elevators with her arms folded across her chest, eyeing Arizona as she punched the up arrow. Arizona shrugged her shoulders, but followed suit, realizing that Callie wouldn't be saying a word until they were somewhere a little more private._

_On floor two, Callie walked out, gesturing for Arizona to follow her. They made their way past the nurses station, rounded the corner, and slipped into on-call room seven._

"_Okay, what is going on?" Arizona said as she looked around the small, bunk-bed'd, dormitory-like room. What the draw for people had to use these rooms for sex was beyond her._

"_Addison," Callie said softly. "Addison knows."_

"_Knows...?"_

"_That we're," Callie gesticulated, before dropping her hands and pausing. "Having a lot of lunches," she finished lamely._

"_Okay," Arizona arched a brow. "Am I missing something?" she asked, slipping her hands into her lab coat._

"_Oh," Callie said, smiling some. "I just, you know, after Joe's and all this...time..."_

"_You're married, Callie," Arizona mumbled, forcing a smile. "Joe's was an indiscretion, and I apologize for it."_

_Callie blinked. "So you didn't...I was just concerned what kind of, you know, image we were portraying to the hospital. If we were making it appear like-"_

"_Appear? We work together,I don't-" Arizona was trying to sound convincing, and it probably would have worked if Callie Torres wasn't so damn beautiful._

"_It was a mistake, then," Callie grinned ruefully._

"_Callie," Arizona repeated. "I'm trying, so hard...to be respectful. Of you, of your marriage. You...you're not easy to shake off, which I'm sure you know. But you already have your life, your marriage, your-your family."_

"_It's complicated," Callie admitted, taking a step closer to Arizona._

"_It's marriage," Arizona laughed in disbelief, inching back as Callie crept forward, stopping when her back hit the wall. "Callie."_

"_Don't," Callie whispered before she took a deep breath, hand settling on Arizona's arm._

_Arizona couldn't stop herself. The mantra played on in her head, but it didn't stop her from grabbing Callie around the waist and pulling her into her arms, hand moving up to snake around the back of her neck and kiss her properly._

_And as Callie moaned gently into her mouth, Arizona understood the draw to these rooms._

_The blonde's hand found warmth underneath Callie's lab coat, ghosting along curves she'd always admired from a far. It was unbelievable how right this felt, how good Callie felt in her arms, and for a second she forgot that all of this was more complicated than she'd ever thought it could be. But just for a second._

"_What...what are we doing?" Arizona panted as Callie broke the kiss to move her lips against her neck._

"_I'm not sure," Callie breathed. "You just, oh, you feel so so good."_

_Arizona's head tipped back as Callie continued exploring her neck with her mouth, dipping down to her collarbone._

"_Oh God," Arizona's breath hitched. "You feel amazing," she praised, wondering if Callie had done this before with a woman, then realized it didn't matter._

_Callie's hands slipped lower until they found the hem of Arizona's scrub top, breaching it enough so that her fingertips got to feel the warm skin of Arizona's abdomen. She wanted, no, needed more of that feeling. Arizona was intoxicating to her._

"_I have surgery with Addison," Arizona panted. "In probably five minutes."_

_Callie pulled away reluctantly, real life slapping her hard across the face as she did so. She glanced at Dr. Robbins, disheveled, flushed. Oh, hell. She needed out of this room._

_Arizona's pager reaffirmed her impending procedure. "I have to-"_

"_Go," Callie nodded. "Good luck."_

_Arizona nodded in reply, attempting to smooth down her hair and adjust her lab coat. "I'll um, see you later," she said over her shoulder._

_Callie closed her eyes, listening to the telling sound of the door closing, grateful for the privacy as that pitiful sob choked out of her._

* * *

><p>Arizona Robbins wakes with a foot in her gut. A very, very tiny foot. She peeks open an eye and sees a twin, Gus she guesses from the monkey tucked under his arm, snuggled very contentedly between herself and Calliope.<p>

Huh.

She stirs and stretches a little, moving a hand over to softly pet his unruly blond hair.

If someone had told her six months ago that she'd be dating an absurdly hot, absurdly passionate, absurdly talented cardio surgeon by year's end, she would've told them to keep dreaming. If they'd told her she would be sharing a bed with said surgeon and said surgeon's two-year-old son? She'd've punched them in the face. And to actually find the whole thing rather adorably endearing? She would've said _impossible._ Her entire world has been flipped upside down by Callie Torres. Well, Callie Torres and the three Hunt children.

"I'm sorry," Callie whispers, clearly a bit embarrassed, and Arizona meets her gaze. "I tried everything else to get him to settle back down, but I didn't want him to wake Gav."

Arizona shakes her head to dismiss the apology, reaching across to gently thread her fingers through Callie's, hands resting on Gus's hip.

"It's okay. Just go back to sleep," Arizona smiles, watching the worry drain from Calliope's shoulders. "He's snores less than you anyway."

"Snore?" Callie whispers, half-offended. "Rude."

Gus snuggles closer to Arizona, and Callie melts.

"He loves you."

"I'm just comfy," Arizona shrugs, ducking Callie's glittering gaze, squeezing her hand. "Sweet dreams."

Arizona settles into her pillow, Gus's breath tickling her bare arm, and tries to calm her rapidly beating heart as Callie whispers into the dark:

"_I _love you, too."

* * *

><p>tbc<p> 


	3. Part 3

**Title**: _Can't Walk Away_

**Rating**: M, this chapter!

**Authors**: a_windsor & roughian (a_roughian? windsorian?)

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My one and a half years of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it's pretty useless. So please don't sue; it's not mine, I'm just playing!

**Summary**: The beginning and the end of an affair. Set after 8x13

**A/N**: Things come to a head. Oh! And _flashbacks in italics_.

* * *

><p><em>The softness of Arizona's couch soothed her into a state of half-asleep, half-awake. Her eyes lazily followed the herd of gazelles fleeing the pack of hyenas as they ran across the scorched earth on her flat screen. She yawned once and closed her eyes, as the soothing British narrator explained survival of the fittest. <em>

_She barely registered the knock at the door until it became adamant, almost panicked. _

"_Arizona, open the door." _

_Calliope. _

_Arizona flung the blanket off of her, casting a weary glance at the Scotch and Soda (her second of the night) that was now sweating a ring on her brand new coffee table. Great. She slid the chain lock out of the way before working the deadbolt loose. _

"_Callie," she said confusedly. _

_The brunette looked small; wet with Seattle rain. Her trench coat soaked, her mascara rimmed around her eyes in two matching black rings. She was shaking as she wiped another tear from her eye. _

"_Oh my, come on in," Arizona gestured, grabbing the discarded blanket off of the floor and wrapping it around her colleague's shoulders. _

"_I can't stop," Callie said as she wrapped the blanket tightly around her torso. _

"_Stop what? Are you okay? Do you need something dry to put on?" Arizona looked on, concerned, her arms folded across her baggy t-shirt that probably belonged to some ex girlfriend's or another's. _

"_Thinking," Callie sniffled roughly. "About you. About us. I'm not a cheater," Callie defended as her voice cracked. _

"_That's a good thing," Arizona replied. _

_To the thinking or the cheating, Callie wasn't sure. _

"_Arizona, I'm not... I'm," Callie tried to find words again, but instead her throat constricted as more tears spilled. Fat, blinding tears mixed with make up. _

"_Hey," the blonde said softly, reaching out to touch Callie's arm. "You didn't do anything wrong. We don't have to do anything, ever again."_

"_But, I want to," Callie eyed Arizona. "So, so badly. You have no idea." _

_Arizona felt an odd mix of excitement and guilt. Callie Torres- Hunt standing here, sobbing in her living room, wiping tears away with a telling diamond ring glinting in the lamp light. _

"_You do?" Arizona finally spoke. _

"_I do. I-I'm drawn to you, Arizona. You're amazing. You understand me. Arizona, I- you're...I'm." _

_Arizona heard the rhythmic sound of her heart overworking in her chest. _

_Callie Torres. Standing there. Crying and conflicted. In her living room. _

"_I won't be the one you have on the side," she said firmly. "I'm not ever going to be that woman for you." _

"_The side?" Callie parroted in disbelief. "You wouldn't be. I want you, Arizona. But it's not that cut and dry. The kids... Owen..." _

"_I won't be your homewrecker," Arizona rephrased, blinking rapidly to keep her own tears from falling._

"_If anyone's a homewrecker, it's me," Callie mumbled, voice small again. "I know my consequences." _

_Arizona stared at the woman in front of her. The proud, confident Dr. Torres, a mess. A beautiful mess, but a mess nonetheless. _

"_I've been standing outside this building wondering if I should make the leap. If I should come inside. I know what I want, and it's you. And, I'm a mother. They're supposed to come first, to erase all the doubt. But I can't stop thinking about you." _

"_Really?" Arizona asked, realizing hers was the quiet, small voice now. _

"_Really." _

"_You're still shivering," Arizona commented. "Cold?" _

"_Nervous, excited," Callie shrugged. "Terrified." _

"_Why?" Arizona asked, even though she knew the answer. She could read it on that pretty face. _

"_Because," Callie dropped her gaze then lifted it again. "I want to kiss you, I want to throw my arms around you. I want you." _

"_I'm right here," Arizona whispered, so softly she wasn't even sure Callie heard it. _

_Callie took a step closer, brushing a lock of hair that had fallen free from Arizona's messy ponytail away from her face._

"_Wait. Does Hunt know?" Arizona tried one more time, for morality's sake. _

"_Owen sleeps in the guest room, doesn't say I love you," she paused. "I don't know if he ever did. Everyone knows he pines for Yang, too." _

"_Do you think... he's cheating?" Arizona said, throwing a pebble in the glass house she's building. _

"_Doubtful. This marriage is long over. That doesn't excuse this, I know. But it is. When we had Allegra, everything was just supposed to fall into place, and maybe it did, for awhile, but..." Callie trailed off. _

_Arizona held up a hand. "No, you don't have to talk about that." _

_Callie tightened the grip on the blanket around her shoulders. It smelled like Arizona and made her just the faintest bit dizzy. _

"_Do you want dry clothes?" Arizona asked again. _

"_Yes, please," Callie acquiesced. _

_Arizona nodded as she turned on her heels, walking toward the bedroom, gesturing for Callie to follow her. Callie noticed that the apartment was spotless and quiet (save for the low rumble of the television). Quiet was different than her own space, and Callie wasn't sure if that was good or bad, yet. _

_Flipping on the bedroom light, Arizona walked to her dresser, pulling out a folded pair of sweats and a cotton t-shirt. "Bathroom's down the hall and on the right, in case you-" _

_Callie shook her head. If she didn't do this now, she wouldn't. She dropped her blanket, wincing as the cool air made contact with her damp clothes. Grabbing Arizona's hand, she found those blue eyes. "Please." _

_Arizona bit her lip when she felt the insistent tug on her hand, not stopping until she was in Callie's arms. The dam broke, the tension snapped like a rubber band stretched too far. She wasn't sure who got to it first, but Callie's lips were warm and soft against her. Tension rolled off her shoulders as her fingers worked at the fabric of Callie's blouse, tugging it from the confines of her slacks. _

_Callie felt her knees threaten to give out when Arizona's tongue slid softly against her lower lip, gently pushing past to make contact with her own tongue. Despite the soaking clothes, she was overheated. Drastically so. _

_Arizona's hands tangled in dark waves. Callie was so beautiful, so fragile despite her somewhat tough demeanor. As she pressed kisses along her neck, she listened as Callie's sobs turned to fluttery moans, body arching into Arizona's. Still, despite her being wet from rain, rumpled, and a little sad- Arizona felt grossly inferior to her. _

_"I want to see you," Arizona whispered. "I want to see what you look like under my hands." _

_Callie felt woozy again, but nodded. She desperately wanted to stay right here, kiss Arizona until the sun came up, but there was a desire that needed to be addressed, desperately. _

_Arizona pulled back enough so that her shaking fingers could start undoing the buttons on Callie's shirt. She'd done this before; fine silk numbers, roughly starched cotton; scratchy cardigans. But this was different. This wasn't just going through the motions. Pulling either side of the shirt apart, Arizona stumbled back a bit at the sight. Callie Torres, all tan curves and lacy black bra. Right here, in front of her. _

"_You're..." _

"_No," Callie snapped. "Kiss me." _

_This kiss was softer, slower. Callie's tongue stroked against Arizona's, so gently, so pointedly that it made the blonde shiver as she reciprocated, hands sliding along Callie's sides. They were forging a connection, one that Callie wasn't sure she'd ever find. She wasn't sure how one kiss could make her feel this way, but there she was, feeling it all. _

_Arizona slid the damp, expensive fabric off of Callie's shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Her heart was in her throat at the sight of the swells of those breasts, those strong shoulders, the curve of her neck. This was the part where she'd skip the rest of the undressing process, get whomever it was into bed, and make sure it was a quick affair. But Callie made her want to take her time. _

_Callie grasped Arizona's t-shirt in her hands, gathering the soft cotton and tugging it upward. The blonde wasn't wearing a bra, and Callie wasn't sure she should be looking, it was almost too much to see Dr. Arizona Robbins so vulnerable. _

_Able hands undid Callie's bra, fingers sliding from her shoulders to her sides, admiring the striking contrast of her stark white fingers on caramel-tinted skin. She gently palmed a breast, and then the other as Callie buckled forward. _

_Callie was on fire, feeling a familiar yet almost forgotten heat in between her thighs. She fumbled for the button on her slacks as Arizona helped her the rest of the way out of them. They joined her shirt and soon Arizona's sweats. She felt the blonde coaxing her backward until she hit the soft landing of that primly made bed. _

_It felt good to be in Callie's arms, to settle between her legs. Fingers she'd seen operate, hands she'd admired for strength and skill, sliding across her back, in between her shoulder blades, along her sides. They made it as far as the small elastic band of her underwear before skittishly retreating. _

_Arizona could wait. She'd wait as long as Callie needed. She laid kisses across Callie's neck, inhaling the scent of rain-dampened locks- shampoo and perfume and just a hint of sweat. The symphony of Callie's sounds were driving her crazy as it went, fueling the burning need to touch the woman underneath her, to make her feel everything she'd been harboring for all these months. _

_It was hard for Callie to look at Arizona. Every time she did, a flood of guilt, of arousal, of fear shot through her but it wasn't enough to stop her. Everything was happening so fast and not fast enough. She was aching for Arizona but at the same time wanted this to be a slow burn. _

"_I want to touch you," Arizona whispered as she pulled back, pleadingly seeking approval. _

"_Not yet, kiss me," Callie panted, feeling Arizona's bare thigh between her own, grinding against her desire. _

_Arizona dropped her torso again, seeking Callie's lips. She could kiss this woman all day, and planned to make up for every moment she wished she did. She was terrified, though. What if this was it? The last time? What if Callie ran out of here and never looked back. She'd have to make it memorable. Callie was more than a random hook up, a girl from a bar. Callie was... _

"_You're so, just," Arizona bit her tongue as her hand grazed the side of Callie's breast. _

"_Stop," Callie insisted. "I'm just me." _

_Arizona's grin cracked, dimples popping. "And I love that." _

"_I've- um, never done this with a woman," Callie admitted shyly, fingers tangling in blonde locks. _

"_I have a feeling you're a fast learner," Arizona tried for the joke, watching Callie's face fall. "I'm teasing, it'll be okay. I don't really do this with um...so it's sort of new for me too." _

_Callie tugged Arizona closer again. She could get used to this feeling; soft curves, gentle touches; featherlight kisses against the crook of her neck. She was shaking still; from cold or desire, she wasn't entirely sure. _

_Arizona's kisses moved from Callie's neck, to her shoulders, down along her chest. She paused briefly at her breasts then shivered at the sight of the body beneath her. Her lips trailed to Callie's abdomen, then stopped again, hooking her fingers in the sides of her underwear, tugging them down. _

_It was almost too much, all the vulnerability, the heady scent of Callie's arousal, the sight of her thighs shaking just slightly. Arizona slipped her hands underneath strong, tanned thighs, kisses pressing along her hip, against the smooth skin of Callie's thigh. "Is this okay?" _

_Callie's heart was in her throat, making it hard to respond. "Please," she whispered. _

_Arizona took a shuddering breath, kissing her way to the apex of Callie's thighs. Her tongue traced a path to find the source of so much arousal as Callie's back arched. Hands came to those thighs, stroking them. There wasn't enough time in the evening, in the week, in the month for how much she wanted to cherish the woman beneath her. She'd never be able to get this taste out of her head, this craving for everything Callie had to offer. _

_Fingers threaded in silky blonde locks, tugging slightly when Arizona's tongue moved up a little higher, swirling around Callie's aching clit. The brunette whimpered and Arizona shuddered. She wanted to hear that sound, every night, every second. Her tongue's strokes grew bolder and Callie whimpered pleadingly. She wanted everything Arizona had to offer, and then some. And Arizona would give her that. _

_Two fingers slid inside of Callie, aided by slick heat- desire. Arizona's gaze flicked upward, knocking her off her rhythm for a second. Callie's cheeks flushed warm and red, her eyes closed tight, lower lip trapped between pearly whites. In short: Callie might kill her. _

_She shifted, tongue flicking, fingers driving in long, calculated strokes. Callie was babbling, pleading for the impossibility of closer, or more. "Don't stop. Please don't stop. God, Arizona." _

_Arizona wasn't going to stop, though. She was intent on making Callie come, specifically for her. The sound of her name tumbling from her lips was unbelievable. It was almost cliched, how turned on she was, how the simple sound of Callie's voice could have gotten her off. _

_Callie's hands tightened in those blonde locks, squeezing, tugging. God, it was good good. She'd never done this with a woman but this was easily the best she'd ever had. No scratchy, scruffy, hurry-up-and-get-this-done. Arizona was masterful with that mouth and Callie felt the impending sensation of her orgasm barrelling toward her. _

"_I'm so close," she warned. _

_Arizona was torn. She wanted to slow down, drag every last whimpering moan out of Callie until she couldn't take it anymore, but instead the desire to hear her, to feel her come against her mouth, around her fingers, took over. Her tongue worked, her fingers curled and soon after Callie screamed her name. _

_When it was over, Arizona looked up, sitting back on her haunches. Callie reached for her, tugging the lithely curved body on top of her, needing the closeness, needing to feel that she wasn't alone in this. Arizona kissed her face, stroked her hair. God, Callie Torres was beautiful. And right now, for this one second, she was all hers. _

"_Um, wow," Callie said, blushing. "Wow." _

_Arizona laughed, humbled. "I'm glad you liked it." _

_Callie's fingertips drifted over Arizona's back, stroking against the divot of her spine. _

"_Mm, I did," she paused, thoughtfully considering for a moment. "I want to do that for you. I want to make you feel good." _

_Shuddering, Arizona pushed Callie's hair out of her eyes. "You don't have to, we can wait." _

"_I want to," Callie repeated. "Please." _

_Arizona rolled over onto her back, tugging Callie with her. She shimmied out of her underwear, angling so that Callie would have the best access. "Give me your hand." _

_Callie's eyes raked over Arizona's naked form; the curve of her hip, the definition in her stomach. This woman... "Okay," she gave her hand willingly._

_Arizona locked her eyes with Callie, spreading her fingers, manipulating her fore and middle before she brought them in between her thighs. _

_Callie gasped at what she felt; warm, wet heat. "Oh..." _

"_This is what you do to me," Arizona explained. _

_The Latina shivered again, fingers twitching. "Sh-show me what to do." _

_Arizona gasped, trying to keep it together for a second. "Okay, move your fingers, just a little upward," she mumbled. "Oh God. Okay, right there." _

_Callie was daunted, understandably, but she loved being there, touching Arizona, listening to her gasp and feeling her shake. At first, the blonde's hand stayed wrapped around hers, helping her along, showing her. But soon Callie shook it away. "Just tell me." _

_Arizona was trying to hold off; this was all too much, and she assumed she'd be waking up from a very vivid sex dream any second now. It wouldn't be the first time the Latina was the star of the show, however. _

_Callie gained confidence, fingers sliding tentatively inside of Arizona. She started a quick rhythm as Arizona cried out her name. _

"_Slow down," the blonde begged. "Just s-slow..." _

_Callie gasped but did as she was told, slowing down enough so that Arizona felt every painstakingly slow stroke of her fingers. Arizona tugged her closer, wanting Callie to be right there when she came for her. Intuitively, Callie pulled out her fingers to rub at Arizona's clit again, listening to the subtle 'to the right, just a little lower, up a little' until Arizona was panting, tugging on the sheets, clawing at Callie's back. _

"_I'm- I'm..." Arizona gasped, shaking in those arms, whimpering against Callie's ear. She was never this girl, and here she was at the Latina's mercy. _

_When Arizona finally did come, Callie felt herself worked up all over again. Arizona's sounds, the way her body tensed, the way she clung to Callie, buried her face in her neck. She wanted to cry, but she held it together. _

"_Up to par?" Callie teased and Arizona rolled them over again, hands moving to Callie's shoulders. _

_Arizona grinned. "Yep, and now I'm going to walk you through what I just did to you." _

_Callie felt invigorated, losing herself for a minute as she giggled. Right now it was just them. And nothing else mattered._

* * *

><p>"This is really nice," Callie smiles as she sets down her glass of wine, looking around Arizona's beautifully lit apartment.<p>

It had once been the scene of many furtive liaisons at the height of their sneaking around: just a few blocks from the hospital, it had been perfect for when there was time for more than just a supply closet quickie. Now, though, they rarely spend any time here. Arizona, of course, spends every third or fourth night here, for reasons Callie doesn't quite but sort of does understand. Callie, though, can count on one hand the times they've been here together since Owen moved out.

Tonight, though, with the kids at their dad's, Arizona has insisted on a romantic date night at her place, and even banned Callie from coming over until everything was ready. There are candles, wine, soft music, a table cloth that's never had a run-in with crayon, and fine china that sits out recklessly, with no fear of a whirlwind toddler attack.

"Mm, I do kinda miss the soundtrack," Arizona admits.

"The soundtrack?"

"Gavin growling, Gus singing, Allegra bossing us all around."

Callie beams at her. "You don't have to say that."

"No, I know. I really do enjoy your home, Calliope. Even the kids. Usually _especially_ the kids. It's just..."

"What?"

"The bed."

"The bed?" Callie asks incredulously, freezing with a bite of pasta primavera halfway to her mouth. "Um, from what I was hearing last night, you are very fond of that bed."

Arizona makes a face, sighing and putting down her wine. "I am fond of what you _do_ to me in that bed, Calliope. I'm not... That's the bed you slept in with your _husband_. I'm sleeping in Owen Hunt's spot."

Through her shock, all Callie can manage is: "Actually, you're sleeping in my spot."

"What?"

"Owen preferred the left, you prefer the right. I switched."

"That's really not the point, Callie. It feels... It feels like not much has changed for you."

Callie wrinkles her brow. "Um, I'm a few legal hoops to jump through away from divorcing my husband, and, if you haven't noticed, _now I'm with you_."

"And so the only difference is you replaced your husband with your girlfriend."

"What? No! The only difference is _now I'm happy_."

Arizona's scowl turns into a warm smile at that. "And I'm happy, too. So happy. I just... It's hard. It's hard to sleep in that bed. I feel like a fraud."

"Owen hasn't slept in that bed in years."

"Yeah, but he did. You two bought it to be _your bed_. Made a family _in that bed_."

Now it's Callie's turn to grimace. Maybe she has a point.

"So we get a new bed."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I work early tomorrow, but afterwards we can go to the furniture store. Pick out a whole new bed. Whatever you want."

"You'd really do that for me?"

"Of course, Arizona. Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I just..." Arizona shakes it off and smiles, coming around the table and slipping into Callie's lap. "Nothing." She presses a warm kiss to Callie's cheek, trailing up to her ear where she takes a gentle nip. "Let's buy a bed."

* * *

><p>tbc<p> 


	4. Part 4

**Title**: _Can't Walk Away_

**Rating**: M, this chapter!

**Authors**: a_windsor & roughian (a_roughian? windsorian?)

**Disclaimer**: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. My one and a half years of law school could allow me to legalese this a little more, but it also tells me it's pretty useless. So please don't sue; it's not mine, I'm just playing!

**Summary**: The beginning and the end of an affair. Set after 8x13

**A/N**: Here we are, at the end. For now. And by for now, we mean, that our muses have decided that this is a !verse. (Still working on the name of said 'verse.) So, enjoy the end of this, which is really just the beginning of a whole world. Oh! And _flashbacks in italics_.

* * *

><p><em>The hospital was never a place for sexy <em>anything_ for Arizona, until she'd met Callie. And they'd started... having a lot of lunches._

_Was it safe to call it an affair? Learning about this woman as they worked together, sneaking kisses in stairwells, making out in on-call rooms, stealing glances over board meetings, sending suggestive text messages during busy days._

_Arizona's mind was consumed with this woman. She was hers while they were here- this palace of life and death and everything in between. She wasn't sure where they fit on that spectrum, but she wouldn't stop trying._

_Arizona ate the last of her pear over the trash can in the attendings lounge while she read over the gossip-headlines in the _People_ she'd snagged from Callie's locker. The solitude felt nice, comforting. Arizona had become an endless cycle of introspection so the fruit and the tabloids distracted her long enough to not have to think._

_However, the swing of the door, the heels clacking softly on the tile, and the arms around her waist, threw that notion in the garbage along with the core of her pear. She shivered as familiar hands moved to shift her hair to the side and familiar lips pressed against the back of her neck._

"_Hi," Arizona smiled._

"_Hey," Callie replied. "Long day. I'm about to leave."_

"_Me too," Arizona sighed. "Rounds then I'm going home."_

_Callie loosened her grip to allow Arizona to turn in her arms. She pressed a kiss to her lips; they tasted sweet. Well, sweeter than usual. "See you tomorrow?"_

_Arizona wasn't satisfied with that tiny kiss, though, and pressed her lips more adamantly against the other pair. The fleeting thought of Callie coming home with her made the kiss more passionate, insistent._

"_What time are you in tomorrow?" Callie asked as she broke away from the kiss, realizing she could get carried away with it. Her hands slipped beneath Arizona's lab coat, stroking against her lower back._

_The blonde melted at the touch. "Not until 5:00 p.m.," she lamented, pressing a kiss to Callie's throat. "You?"_

"_Early. I think 8:00?"_

"_Dinner?" Arizona asked hopefully, between kisses up the side of Callie's neck._

"_Sounds great," Callie smiled, wrapping her arms around Arizona in an embrace._

_Both women heard the telling whistling before the door swung open, causing the pair to skitter apart._

"_Hey, Cal," Owen smiled, ceasing his whistling. "Didn't know you were in here. Hello, Dr. Robbins."_

"_Hey, Dr. Hunt," Arizona said, face red, eyes wide. Hand just out of the cookie jar. Had he walked in a moment sooner..._

"_All ready?" Callie asked as Arizona smiled sheepishly._

"_Thanks again, Dr. Torres," Arizona said. "You um, that was great work today."_

"_Sure," Callie said. "Anytime."_

_Hunt smiled as he slipped an arm around his wife's shoulders. _

_Arizona watched the pair walk out, the stiffened gait of Callie under the forced affection from her husband. Arizona burned with something that felt a lot like jealousy, but mostly shame. Callie laughed at something he said before they were out of earshot. Crumpling the magazine in her hand, Arizona sneered to herself. _

_She was in this. Really, really in this. _

_And that was really, really terrifying._

* * *

><p>"Well, that didn't take long."<p>

Callie looks up from the precious little Ella Sloan in her arms.

"What do you mean?"

"It's been less than a year since the two of you started making eyes at lunch and hiding in supply closets doing the nasty, and you already look like Stepford's happiest lesbians."

"I don't-"

"And I don't understand how you and Owen have the most easy, amicable divorce ever. You're shacking up with the mistress too!"

"We're not-"

"Derek is fighting me over every comma in that divorce settlement."

"Well, you did let him believe Ella was his for eight months."

Addison makes a face and gestures back to the scene playing out before them on the playground, where Ella's father Mark Sloan is helping Arizona guide the twins through some epic slide races, Allegra clinging tightly to Arizona's back.

"Whatever," Addison dismisses. "You're such a happy little family. It's cute. When's the big gay wedding?"

"We're not- My divorce isn't even final, Addie. It's... It's early. We're taking it slow."

"Could've fooled me," Addison shrugs.

"Mami, Mami," Allegra interrupts, running over. Mark, Arizona, and the boys have moved on to the swings. "Ooh. You got the baby."

Allegra tucks in between Callie and Addison, looking into Ella's scrunched up face.

"She's _soooo _cute. Mami, are you or Sona gonna have my next brother?"

Callie almost drops poor Ella, and Addison breaks out in a loud cackle.

"Baby girl, what are you talking about?"

"Jillie has two mommies, and one had Jillie in her belly and the other one had her sister in _her_ belly," Allegra says easily.

Addison is laughing so hard she's _shaking_.

"Okay, well, that's _great_ for Jillie," Callie says, blushing hotly. She lifts her gaze to where Arizona is doing a good old-fashioned underdog on Gavin's swing.

"I think I wanna sister this time. I'll ask Sona."

"No!" Callie snaps quickly, Allegra flinching and baby Ella grunting. "It's not... You've got two crazy little brothers, Legs, why do you want another baby?"

Allegra shrugs and busies herself with Ella's socked feet.

"So..." Addison draws out. "When's that big gay wedding, again?"

"Shut up," Callie hisses.

* * *

><p><em>Arizona heard a familiar, wonderful laugh behind her, bringing back memories of that same laugh with a much more sultry tone that made her flush all over. She spun around with a wide grin, only to freeze a little in her tracks.<em>

_Calliope was there, as expected, but she was giggling, honestly giggling, at something one of her sons was doing. She had him scooped up in her arms, swinging him about, while her daughter and other son cheer her on. _

_She had seen Callie with her kids before. Even though Callie almost never brought up Hunt when they were together, it was impossible to spend time with her without hearing about the antics of Angus, Gavin, and Allegra and seeing the way Callie lit up about them. But she'd never really spent time with the little rascals._

_It was a cold dousing of reality. She, Arizona Robbins, was a homewrecker. She was sleeping with a married woman, enamored of a mother with three very important responsibilities._

_She wanted to slink off and cry a little, maybe. To call it all off and maybe pretend like it never, ever, happened. But she couldn't. She was sucked in: she was in this until Calliope called it off, because even with the crushing guilt, this woman made her feel more alive than she could ever remember, maybe even counting before Tim died. This woman made her want things she could never imagine before. _

_She would take what she could get, and then spend the rest of her life futilely trying to get over Calliope Torres._

_Arizona considered her options for escape from this suddenly claustrophobic hallway, but before she could execute any such plan, she was interrupted by a tiny-human shaped bullet to her knees. She looked down to see one of Callie's ridiculously cute twins staring up at her._

"_Hi," he blushed._

"_Hi... buddy."_

"_That's Gavin," another voice interrupted. She put an instinctive hand down on the boy's soft head of curls to steady him and lifted her eyes up to see Allegra giving her a quizzical look. "They're hard to tell apart."_

"_Hi, Gavin," Arizona said with a steadying breath. Kids loved her: she was a natural. She just wouldn't think too hard about whose kids they were (even as she searched their faces for every trace of Calliope). "They certainly do look alike."_

"_They're identical," Allegra supplied helpfully. _

"_Thanks. How do you tell them apart?"_

_Allegra shrugged. "Just do."_

"_Allegra, Gavin, you know better than to run off. Don't bother Dr- Arizona."_

"_Hello, Calliope," Arizona couldn't help but smile. She looked a bit frazzled, Gus on her hip playing with her hair, but still just so beautiful. Robbins tried very hard not to think impure thoughts in the presence of Callie's kids. "What are you guys up to?" _

"_Just taking a break while Mami has a second to breath," Callie laughed uneasily. "It's unseasonably nice so we were going to head outside for a few minutes. Stretch our legs." _

"_You should come, too, Arizona," Allegra cried excitedly. _

"_Dr. Robbins," Callie corrected, taking a breath to excuse Arizona. _

"_Arizona is fine," Arizona insisted with a kind smile for all four Torres'. Er, Hunts. _

"_Ah-sona," Gavin tried from below them, extending his arms in a classic gesture. "Up, Sona."_

"_Sorry," Callie grimaced. "He likes to flirt with pretty girls."_

_Arizona shook her head, determined to embrace this. She lifted Gavin to her hip and grinned: "Is that so? So do I."_

_Callie snorted, and Arizona joined in. This all is so absurd they just have to laugh._

"_So, we're headed outside, hmm?" Arizona continued, surprised as Allegra slips a hand into hers. These kids sure aren't shy._

"_Yeah, after donuts," Allegra decreed. _

"_Donuts? I love donuts!" Arizona exclaimed. _

* * *

><p>It shouldn't feel like this,<em> Callie decided. <em>

_This was the worst of all her sins of the past few months. Owen was the furthest thing from her mind and all she could think was:_

This is perfect. I could do this for the rest of my life.

_It was a bit colder than anticipated, so they were all huddled on one bench for warmth, Arizona's thigh pressed achingly close to hers. The twins jockeyed for position in Arizona's lap while Allegra grinned and looked on from Callie's._

_They felt... like a family. _

_Shit._

_Callie pulled up short at that and gave Allegra a quick squeeze. There was already a family here, and Arizona wasn't a part of it. This was wrong. But it made her so happy, and for once in her recent life, she just wanted to be happy. _

_The twins were singing some made up gibberish song for Arizona, who tipped her head back and laughed. Callie was transfixed on the fine muscles at her throat._

_She wanted this, so badly, and that was a worse sin than the on-call room sex and heated verbal foreplay in the cafeteria. Worse than the afterglows spent sharing exquisite secrets she hadn't even shared with her husband. This was the worst. _

_She had to confess._

* * *

><p><em>He'd been shocked into silence, and she'd recoiled in fear of a physical reaction, hating herself even as she did it. Owen would never hurt her. At least, the old Owen wouldn't.<em>

"_You cheated on me."_

_She couldn't make out his face through the tears clouding her eyes, and his tone was horribly flat and neutral. _

"_With Arizona Robbins."_

"_Yes," Callie sobbed, hating (and loving) the rush of warmth even at her name._

"_For how long?"_

"_Months. Five months."_

_Five glorious months and ten days. That number was from The Case, the one that changed her life, not the first time she laid wrapped in Arizona's sheets and screaming her name, but Callie figured an affair of the heart was a greater crime than an affair of the flesh. _

"_Huh."_

"_Owen..."_

"_Are you still?"_

"_I wasn't _doingcharts_ in on call room five yesterday."_

_Owen grunted. "Not gonna be able to sleep there ever again."_

_Callie buried her head in her arms, curled up small in the armchair in the corner of their guest room, Owen seated on the bed across from her._

"_Are you leaving me?"_

"_I don't know," Callie cried harder. "Oh, Owen, I don't know. I want to love you. I want to fix us, for them. But I _don't_ love you. I haven't in years."_

_She figured she might as well be honest._

"_Me either," Owen whispered. "Do you want to leave me?"_

_Callie whimpered._

"_Do you want to be with _her_?"_

"_Yes," Callie choked, feeling it more strongly than ever. "I'm so sorry, but yes."_

_Owen sighed._

"_Okay."_

_Callie looked up sharply._

"_What?"_

"_Allegra, Gavin, Angus. They're the best things we've ever done. But going on like this will just hurt them. I'll go, tomorrow. You stay here, with them. I... I shouldn't be with them anyway."_

"_Owen... You're their daddy. They need you."_

"_I'll try to find a place during work tomorrow. Just... let me tell them, okay? The boys won't get it, but Allegra..."_

_Callie unfolded herself and scooted closer to the edge of the chair, placing a tentative hand on her husband's shoulder._

"_Owen, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."_

_For the first time in months, maybe years, he let her hold him while he sobbed into her hair, while they both sobbed for what had been._

* * *

><p>"Daddy!"<p>

"Hey, pumpkin. Hey, guys."

Callie smiles as she watches them all piling on top of him. He looks good. Healthy. He's been in therapy for the greater part of a year, and he and his therapist collectively decide how much time he's ready to handle one on one with the kids. So far it's been going very, very well.

Another positive (though she can't believe she sees it that way) is his growing relationship with Yang. She is patient with him in a way Callie could never muster, and she's actually pretty good with the kids, in her own way. They think she's really funny, and Callie chooses to believe that her tendency to refer to Gavin and Gus as "Dino" and "Monkey" is born of affection and not laziness.

"What's the plan for the day?" Callie asks, two-thirds small talk, one-third concerned parent. She does like to know where they are.

"Well, I managed to get tickets for the Huskies this afternoon. A little basketball, and then dinner at Grandma's. How's that sound, guys?"

But the kids are too excited trying to find all the 'Dad's house toys' inside Owen's apartment to answer.

"That sounds like a lot of fun. Have to say I'm a little jealous," Callie grins. "Oh, word of advice at the game. Gus randomly stopped eating cheeseburgers on Tuesday. I thought he was just being ornery for Arizona when I was late for lunch, but then I tried again last night and he refused."

"Oh-kay," Owen comments. "But he loves cheeseburgers."

"Over it," Callie shrugs. "I'm sure he'll be back to it next week. Just don't be surprised if he doesn't want one."

"Good to know. Hey, did you get Wednesday off from Grey?"

"It was like pulling teeth, but yeah. I said I would be in court and I didn't know how long it would take the judge to get to us."

"Yeah, my lawyer said it could take an hour or it could take all day. Depends on how busy the judge is."

"Yep, so. Wednesday."

Owen nods, and Callie searches for something to say. They've reached a very comfortable place, and it feels like their marriage has been over for months, but in the eyes of the court they're married until the judge signs her name on the separation agreement on Wednesday, and it's a bit of an awkward limbo.

"Anyway, you'll get them to day care Monday morning?" Callie smiles. "You have everything they need?"

"Got it all," Owen says quickly, double-checking the trio of backpacks in his hand. "Enjoy your weekend off."

Callie smiles ruefully. "I really rarely do."

It's not completely true: she does enjoy the opportunity to be alone with Arizona (if their schedules allow), to make love without fear of waking or wandering babies, and maybe even have the living room be neat and tidy for more than ten minutes at a time, but even all of that pales in comparison to how much she misses them on their weekends with their dad.

"Right. So, Wednesday," Callie continues. "I feel like we should get one last cup of coffee as husband and wife beforehand. What do you say?"

"Sure. Grab a cappuccino and talk about our girlfriends?"

Callie laughs, his awful joke breaking the awkward tension. She rolls her eyes.

"They write soap operas about this stuff."

Inside the apartment, one of the twins raises an affronted cry of: "Allegra!" and Callie and Owen automatically snap in unison:

"Allegra, leave your brother alone!"

They make eye contact and laugh again.

"Okay, well, I should go regulate that," he gestures over his shoulder.

"Yes, go. No broken bones or black eyes."

"Yes, ma'am."

This time it's Allegra that squeals and Callie shoos: "Go, go, before they kill each other!"

"See you Wednesday," Owen grins.

* * *

><p>"Okay, guys, time for me to pack it up."<p>

"Nooooo," Gus whines, actually throwing his almost empty bowl of peas from his highchair.

"Angus," Arizona snaps, reproachfully, freezing when she picks up on the 'mommy voice' in her tone. She clears her throat. "I gotta go, buddy. My house misses me."

"Don't go, Sona," Gavin pipes up. "Please..."

"Stay for bath time at least, Arizona," Allegra begs. "It's pirate day!"

All three faces (smeared with dinner) are looking up at her with the biggest puppy dog eyes. She looks up and sees Callie has the exact same look, with something deeper lurking behind.

"Okay," Arizona acquiesces. "I'll stay to make sure Gus walks the plank for throwing his plates."

The kids giggle and rejoice, and Arizona oversees a swashbuckling bath time while Callie puts away the laundry Nanny Dana folded earlier in the day. Arizona gets talked into staying even for bed and stories.

After everyone is asleep, Arizona is throwing a few things into her overnight bag when Callie blurts from the doorframe:

"I don't want you to go."

"You gonna throw your peas about it, too?" Arizona asks, frustrated.

"I want you to stay. We miss you so much when you're not here. Don't you miss us?"

"Calliope. Of course I do. In that stupid empty apartment. I just-"

"Then stay. Please. I want to wake up next to you every morning. I want your clothes in the closet next to mine. All of them. I want to fight for counter space 'cause we both have so many useless hair products. You only have your useful hair products here. I... I want you to yell at my kids and not feel self-conscious about it."

"Callie."

"I saw you today. Your first instinct was to discipline him."

"It's not my place."

"It _is_ your place! It, it could be."

"I'm not their mom..."

"Maybe not, but you're something special."

"I'm doing my best, okay? My friends think I'm _insane_ for being with you and stepping right in to be your _husband_."

Callie flinches and stutters: "You, you're not, you're..."

"I never wanted the house and three kids thing, Calliope. Now I kinda have it, and you're asking, begging me to have even more of it. And I _love_ those kids, but this is a heck of an adjustment."

"This isn't what you want?" Callie asks meekly.

"No! None of this is ever what I wanted."

Callie feels herself start to tear up, but Arizona just keeps pushing on.

"But now I can't imagine ever letting you go. Do you know how _scary_ that is? I love you all so much." She throws her bag to the side forcefully. "I _love_ you. Calliope, I love you."

"I love you, too," Callie swears, crossing to her, grabbing her shoulders. "So, stay. _Please stay_. Forever. Or, we can start with a week at a time? Just please, stay. I've never loved anyone so much in my life. I can't see a future without you."

"Really?" Arizona asks, feeling so very exposed.

"Really," Callie nods, hands trailing up Arizona's arms to lock behind her neck, thumbs stroking the soft hair there.

Arizona reaches around her waist and pulls her close, pressing one fluttering kiss at Callie's collarbone, then repeating the action along that strong line the bone makes.

"Me neither," she whispers, and Callie whimpers as they fall into each other.

Arizona falters for a moment. She wants to take her time, take all of Callie's clothes off, but there's another fierce desire to just take her where they stand. She backs her up against the wall, tugging up on her shirt. "I need you right now."

Callie's already working at Arizona's jeans, hands pulling them down and helping her kick out of them. Arizona does the same, oofing as Callie spins her against the wall. Fingers work down the front of Arizona's navy blue boy shorts, met with arousal already. She wastes no time, pushing two fingers inside to their hilt, crushing her lips against the other pair to keep the strangled moan from waking any sleeping children, something they've had to get very good at.

She pushes into Arizona desperately, listening to the whispers of her name against her neck. This woman makes her feel like a teenager again. There will undoubtedly be hickies and scratches that make the other blush at second glance. But neither woman cares.

Arizona wrestles a hand down the front of Callie's underwear as well, touching her with the same amount of urgency, fingers mirroring the fast pace of her lover's. Their kisses can only mask the gasps for so long before Callie's head tips back, Arizona's lips at her neck while her fingers burrow into long, dark waves.

Callie withdraws her hand, letting Arizona have the space she needs. Her underwear is off, her thighs shaking as Arizona's hands continue. She fears she's going to collapse, but Arizona's there, tugging her to the floor as she continues pumping her fingers, thumb flicking intermittently. There's going to be rug burn on her back from the ferocity in which Arizona's fingers are moving. But she doesn't care, especially as she comes- hard and practically out of nowhere.

Arizona barely has time to register Callie flipping her over, nearly tearing her boyshorts off of her as her thighs are hitched over Callie's shoulders. Fingers tangle in dark tresses once more while Callie works Arizona with her tongue. She's trying so hard to keep quiet, gasping moans permeating the otherwise quiet space. Callie tries shushing her as best she can, and Arizona responds by biting her fist. In the months they've had together, Callie has gotten _very _good at this.

Callie feels Arizona shaking harder, the urgency behind her hands in her hair. She knows her girlfriend...her _girlfriend_ is close. The thought of that is safe and terrifying, but Callie shoos it to the side in favor of making sure Arizona has one hell of an orgasm.

With one long, loud moan, an arch of her back, and a whimper of _Calliope,_ Arizona does, indeed have one hell of an orgasm.

The afterglow is a little different though. Callie and Arizona manage to make it to the bed, moving Arizona's discarded overnight bag in the process. Arizona will worry about unpacking it later, but for now she is content in holding Callie close, pressing kisses to her forehead, smiling.

Callie's tracing lines against Arizona's skin, connecting freckles with invisible patterns. Smiling at the gorgeous woman next to her. She yawns, trying not to fall asleep, but after the day she's had, her body can finally relax.

"What are you thinking?" Arizona whispers, yawning as well.

"This is nice," Callie snuggles in a little more. She was never this woman; never the cuddly type after sex. But here she is.

Arizona smiles, tightening her hold as she drops a kiss to the top of Callie's head.

"It is, isn't it?" she considers for a moment. "What time do you want me to set the alarm for?"

Callie grins before her lips graze Arizona's shoulder. "So you're staying."

"Yeah, I'm staying," she swears, a soft whisper against Callie's ear. "I'm definitely staying."

* * *

><p>el fin... for now! To be continued in stories to come.<p> 


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